Vehicle spring



Apr. 3, 1,923. 1,450,655

C. "N. THOMPSON VEHCLEv SPRING Filed Mal". 24, 1922 Patented pr. 3, 1923.

. i UNITED STATES CLARANCE W. THOMPSON, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIG-NOR TO THOMPSON SPRING COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

VEHICLE SPRING.

Application led March 24, 1922.

soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at liVilmington, in the county of New Castle' and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Springs, of which the following` is a specification.

This invention relates to spring devices formed'and arranged to be associated with an axle or other load-sustaining member of a running-gear and with a member of the body or equivalent load-carrying part, so that relative movements resulting from shocks, thrusts, and stressesv arising from irregularities in the roadway over which the vehicle travels may be absorbed.

The invention relates particularly to such a device arranged to be associated with a leaf-spring acting as a support for the body or equivalent load-carrying part, one or both ends of such a spring being connected swingably with a spring-restrained member of the device in order that it readilymay flatten or elongate and return to a more arcuate condition under the influence of road and load action.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a buffer of novel and ellcient form ency of the leaf-spring and its tendency to bodily movement under the influences to` which it is subjected during operation of the vehicle with which it is associated.

Vhen considered in connection with the description herein, the characteristics of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed, for purposes of illustration.

Although the disclosures herein exemplify what now is considered to be a preferable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it is not the intention to be limited necessarilythereto in interpretation of the claims, as modifications and adaptations within the limits of the claims can be made without departing from the nature of the invention.

Like reference-characters refer to correspending parts in the views of the drawings, of whichi Fig. 1 is a vertical section;

' Fig. 2 is an elevation; and Fig. 3 is aview of a buffer member.

arranged to restrain both the flattening tend' Serial No. 546,401.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, 4 designates an axle part, such for example as a brakedrum, which consitutes a member of the running-gear of a vehicle, to which is secured by a fastening 5 an upstanding bracket member 6.

The member 6 carries, and preferablyis formed integrally with, a casing 7, which preferably is cylindrical. or near its lower end a closure member 8 constituting an end wall and abutment that extends laterally from the bracket. The casing is closed at its upper end by a removable cap 9. f

A hollow piston or stress-sustaining member 10 is slidable longitudinally in, and has a fairly close lit with, the side wall of the casing, by which it is guided, and it has a head or partition 11 at or near its upper end. f A rod 12 extends centrally through, and is connected adjustably with, the partitionhead, and it extends downwardly therefrom through the end wall 8 to the outside of the casing. The rod is connected with the head in any suitable manner. For example, its upper portion, as shown, may be screwthreaded and have thereon opposed nuts 13, one on each side of the head. On removing the cap 9 and thus having access to the interior of the casing, the upper nut may be turned off the rod, the piston withdrawn,

and the lower nut turned to the place that and the upper nut turned down against it.y In this way the extension of the rod outsidey of the casing and the relative tension of opposing springs hereinafter mentioned may be adjusted.

rlhe rod 12 extends through a membery 14, which is mounted inside of the casing by having a threaded lower bushing portion 15 turned into a threaded opening in the lower end wall 8. The member 14 is-formed with an annular abutment 16 on which seats the lower end of an inner coil-spring 17. An outer coil-spring 18 is disposed between the end wall 8 and the piston-head 11. The springs 17 and 18 are arranged to resist movement of the piston in response to outward vmovement of the rod. They inner spring 17 is shorter than the outer spring 18, so that its resistance to movement of the piston does not occur until after initial The casing has at.'

PATENTg ortica.

compression of spring 18. The spring 18 is ot such strength that it will resist ordinary movement of the piston, but, when the piston under comparatively violent stresses is moved sufficiently to come .into action against spring 17, further resistance to its movevend'rot' an arcuate leaf spring 24e, which latter is a supporting member of the body or equivalent portion ot the vehicle. n y

During theyrelative stress action between tli'erod and a leaf-spring so connected with it while the vehicle is in operation, the latter spring lengthens and shortensas it flattens t from and returns to arcuate disposition, and

body movement in a direction longitudinal or" the spring also occurs at times. This results in 4swinging movement ot the links or plates 23, In orderr to restrain such swinglll) ing kmovement. toward the bracketmember G, a buifer device is associatedL with the bracket, A, The butter device also is arranged tok resist. abnormal outward movement of the rod 12.

One elementof the buffer device is a.

strongmember ot spring sheet material and of generally arcuate form. In its upper portion it is curved to conform substantially to the bend where the end wall ot Vthe casing extends laterally `from the bracket, and it isv secured to the bracket and held with its upper curved portion in that bend by suitable astenings, such as vscrews 26. rIhe member 25 also may be further secured by having its upper' end portion interposed `betweer'i vthe end wall S and the 4,flange 22 `of the packing-gland.

The member 25 in its lower portion curves and extends outwardly from the bracket towardthe link-connected end of the leafspring, and it is related and proportioned with lrespect thereto in such `manner that the lower portion of the link connection between the spring and .the rod 12 will contact with the member on extraordinary swinging movement toward the bracket. rIhe butler member thus operates to restrain, absorb, and gradually stop movement of the end of the spring toward the bracket, whether it occurs as a. result of flattening ot the leaf-Spring or of body movement.

Moreover, lthe butter member 25 is so positionedthat it will be contacted by, and restrain the relative movement of the parts when the rod is moved to an unusual eX- tent outwardly of the casing under extraor-` dinary stresses. n

In order to increase the resistance of the buffer member 25, a spiing27, preferably of coil form, is interposed between the lower portion of that member and the bracket.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a vehicle, the combination of an upstanding bracket, an abutment extending laterally therefrom, a spring on said abutment, a rod arranged to compress said spring extending below said abutment, a body-supporting member, a member connecting said member and rod, and a sheetmaterial spring-buffer secured to said bracket below said abutment and curving outwardly from said bracket and arranged to restrain movement ot said connecting member.

2. In a vehicle, the combination of an upstanding bracket, an abutment extending laterallytherefrom, a spring on said abutment, a rod arranged to compress said spring extending `below said abutment, a body- .supporting member, a member connecting said member and rod, a sheet-material spring-butler member secured to said bracket Abelow said abutment and curving outwardly from said bracket and arranged to restrain movement of Asaid connecting member, and a spring interposed between said buffer member and said bracket.

In Witness whereof, I aflix my signature.

cLAnANcE w. THoMPsoN. 

